The Napoleonic Invasions of the Early Nineteenth Century
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1807--The
French Invasion and the Second Count of Amarante
1820-The
First Count of Amarante
1822--The
Second Count of Amarante
The
Spanish Invasion of 1801 up to the Siege of Chaves
This
invasion through Chaves was a result of Bonaparte’s having become
dictator of France in 1799 and having the decrepit Spanish Bourbon
monarchy as an uncomfortable ally; that monarchy was dominated by the
queen’s ambitious favorite, Manuel de Godoy, and the Spaniards had
never quite given up hope of re-annexing Portugal.
Instigated by Napoleon, Spain in 1801 issued an ultimatum to the
Prince Regent John, demanding immediate termination of the British
connection, an alliance with Spain, an indemnity, and the surrender of
some territory. As the
prince vacillated, the Spaniards invaded both northern and southern
Portugal, while a French force stood by ready to help.
The defense of the north of the country was given to general
Gomes Freire, who, some years earlier, had participated in the
unsuccessful expedition of Rossillon.
Chaves was the headquarters of the campaign, having about two
thousand men. The commander
of the garrison was general Manuel José Lobo.
As soon as Gomes Freire took over command of the forces given to him, he planned an assault on the Galicia stronghold of Monterrey. Secrecy, however, seems to have been ignored. In the enemy stronghold about four thousand men were concentrated to oppose the attack decided by Gomes Freire and consisting of two columns, one following the left bank of the Tamega, through the veiga, and the second on the opposite bank. At night, when the two forces were camped in Spanish territory, between Vilarelho da Raia and Ervededo, there was a sudden alarm, which caused great confusion and dispersion among the frontline troops as well as among the militias. The alarm spread to Chaves, and caused the commander of the stronghold to order the retreat of the population and the withdrawal of the garrison to the highlands of Vila Pouca, to the south.
Despite
everything, Gomes Freire was able to re-organise and contain the
regiments, returning to the stronghold.
The Spanish forces followed him, but the gave up, retreating to
their territory. The
Portuguese general attacked again, by surprise, and captured the
Galician village of Feces, whose definitive possession he tried to
consolidate and legalise by juridical instrument signed by the mayor, by
the priest, and by the most important people of the land.
And that is how it all ended, with a small episode that had a
slight taste of operetta. This
was a small part of a campaign that ended with surrender by the
Regent-Prince, John, and the loss of part of Portuguese territory
including the district of Olivença
in the Alto Alentejo east of the Guadiana River.
This is the only European territory ever lost by Portugal, for
Spain still retained it at the close of the Napoleonic era.
The
French Invasions (1807-1811)
A
short time later came the turbulent period of the Peninsular War.
Tras-os-Montes, as all the country, had succumbed to the
Napoleonic regency of Junot. As
soon as news came of the disembarkation of the English in Portuguese
Estremadura, the rebellion broke out.
Braganza, and soon after Chaves, proclaimed liberation.
The militias and the guerrillas were formed again.
Napoleon,
worried about what was happening in Spain, and upset with the failure of
the expedition of his forces, decided to come personally to the
Peninsula, whose submission he had invested three hundred thousand men.
The English, who had disembarked in 1807 in Galicia, did not
surpass thirty thousand, under the command of general Moore.
With his customary mobility, Napoleon multiplied himself, divided
and destroyed the English and the Spanish in quick and precise blows.
He ordered Soult to pursue the English in Galicia.
Moore’s army was defeated and hounded across the mountains of
Lugo; the English general himself was killed during the final combats
carried out around the bay of Coruña, where the remnants of his forces
re-embarked.
Some
months later the same Soult received orders to invade Portugal from the
North and expel the English from Portuguese soil.
The carrying out of the order was, however, strongly impeded by
the winter, which had made the Minho River almost impassable, and by the
resistance of Portuguese forces located between Cerveira and Valença.
Then general Soult decided to go around the mountainous border of
the Upper Minho and make his penetration across the dry border of
Tras-os-Montes. His forces
numbered around twenty three thousand (among them four thousand on horse)
and fifty pieces of artillery. Some
of these troops were experienced since they had participated in the
battles of Friedland and Austerlitz.
The border was crossed on 7 March 1808.
The
defence of the border of Tras-os-Montes was in the hands of brigadier
Francisco da Silveira (future count of Amarante), whose forces,
numbering six thousand men, were concentrated around the stronghold of
Chaves. The forts,
themselves, protected by fifty pieces of artillery, were commanded by
lieutenant colonel Pizarro,
whose descendents are still prominent in the political life of Chaves.
After initial skirmishes near the border, the Portuguese forces
retreated to Chaves, and then Silveira ordered the abandonment of the
stronghold. This decision
caused great unrest among the militia members and the population.
Prudently, the brigadier led his forces south avoiding any risk
against the superior forces. But
pressured by the people and the militia, lieutenant colonel Pizarro,
disobeyed orders and accepted the command of the popular forces,
preparing to resist the invading forces.
Silveira tried to change his mind, even calling a war council to
discuss the problem, but he couldn’t get a formal decision, especially
since the French were now preparing to attack the most northerly fort of
São Neutel. Pizarro held
his ground and the future count left with his officers to join his
forces, who had occupied the highlands south of Chaves.
Soon it was obvious in the stronghold that defence was useless.
A few cannon shots were fired, but they recognized that
Silveira’s decision to retreat had been the most sensible one.
Soult sent a message calling for the surrender of the stronghold,
and it was accepted. Chaves
surrendered and the French troops marched into the town.
Soult, with so many prisoners on his hands, released them, under
oath, and tried to recruit five hundred of the line troops, who soon
deserted.
Meanwhile
the Portuguese forces had left their positions near Vidago and retreated
farther south to a low pass between Vila Pouca and Vila Real.
Soult, though, had decided to make his way south by way of the
Barroso, due west instead of south.
He left a small garrison of about one thousand men in Chaves.
As soon as Silveira knew that the French army has gone away, he
decided to attack Chaves. For
some days a French detachment had approached Vila Pouca in an attempt to
force the entrenched Portuguese forces to retreat.
But soon it was discovered that these forces had gone to Boticas
to join up with the main French army which was already on its way west.
Once again Silveira went down into the Tâmega valley and
attacked the Chaves stronghold. The
small French garrison tried to resist, but the Portuguese knew the town
well and were able to penetrate the walls through an opening called the
“Opening of the Butchershops”.
In the streets there was hand-to-hand combat, and the French,
leaving almost three hundred dead, retreated into the São Francisco
Fort. Two hundred prisoners
fell into the hands of the Portuguese.
For four days the fort was bombarded but the French had good
artillery and the fort defences had been well built.
Finally the final assault was prepared. Before it could be
carried out the French surrendered without conditions.
Twenty-five officers, 13 surgeons, and about one thousand three
hundred soldiers were captured to taken under escort to Vila Real.
This
skilful and valiant maneuver by Silveira seriously upset Soult’s plans,
obliging him to wait, for lack of supply lines, between the Douro and
the Vouga, until he was obliged by Wellesley to retreat quickly to his
starting point, the city of Orense in Galicia.
In the final phase of this retreat, Silveira was almost able to
intercept the French troops near Montealegre.
Some of his detachments were even able to see the rearguard
crossing the border near the rugged mountains of Larouco.
Beresford had come up to Chaves and let the opportunity to
destroy the French slip away. Once
the danger had passed, Beresford, under the insistence of Silveira,
called a court martial for Pizarro.
This War Council took place in Lisbon in 1809 and found the
reckless lieutenant colonel innocent of the charges.
1820-The
First Count of Amarante
For
half a century (from 1820 to 1870 the liberal regime in Portugal faced
the constant threat of several Marshals.
This title had become quite common in Portugal in imitation of
French custom. The most
famous in Portugal was the Duke of Saldanha.
Tras-os-Montes had its share of these military caudillos,
who constantly rose up against the liberal government.
The most famous in the Chaves region was the First count of
Amarante, the famous General Silveira, famous for capturing Chaves from
the French. Unfortunately
he joined the seditious movements that tried to stop the modern
political legalization of the country.
The
Napoleonic campaigns had caused great devastation in Portugal, and the
absence of the royal family (John VI had fled in British ships to Brazil)
and the presence of a foreign commander (Beresford) combined with
revolutionary agitation and the influence of Spanish liberalism to
produce an atmosphere of discontent and restlessness.
In 1815 Brazil was raised to the rank of a kingdom united with
Portugal, and John showed no desire to return to Portugal. As soon as
the news of the liberal revolt of 1820 in Oporto reached Chaves, the old
governor took the decision to oppose it, proclaiming that the only
legitimate regime was the traditional absolute monarchy.
The Junta in Oporto tried to convince him to accept the new
regime but he persisted in his rebellion.
So they sent an expedition to the north to suppress his forces.
Before they could reach Chaves there occurred a split in the
royalist forces, which caused the pro-Miguelist faction to move to Vila
Real. There the movement
collapsed and the old general retired to his estate in Ponte de Lima
where he would finish out his days.
1822-
The Second Count of Amarante—Chaves against liberalism
Surprisingly,
two years later, his son, Marechal Manuel da Silveira, the Second Count
of Amarante, attempted a new revolt against the liberal government.
Beginning in Vila Real, he moved north to Chaves where the local
garrison joined the revolt. But
the rebellion was confined to Chaves and the government in Lisbon sent a
force to wipe it out. Near
Ribeira da Pena, south of Chaves, Silveira surprised the government
column and defeated it completely.
This battle was called the Combat of Santa Barbara.
Many lives were lost and many prisoners taken by the Royalists.
The
battle over, the Count of Amarante returned to Chaves where he entered
with the honors of a conqueror. “From
the gates of Madalena, and on the heights of Arrabalde, the inhabitants
of the town formed compact lines to watch the parade of the victorious
troops. In front, rode,
proudly, followed by his numerous officers, the Count of Amarante, who
the people saluted with repeated hurrahs.
Three regiments followed, and them the militia of Chaves, and
after them the prisoners, with two flags, some eight hundred men, among
whom were one brigadier general, ten superior officers, and one hundred
captains and lower officers. With
no place to lodge so many prisoners, fifty-nine officers were sent,
under escort, to the east, but they never reached their goal.
Near Miranda do Douro, they convinced their escort to desert and
all of them then crossed the border into Spain from where they
re-entered Portugal to fight again.
Soon
after, Amarante decided to advance to the south going to Vila Pouca de
Aguiar. Later he entered
Vila Real, where he formed a Supreme Junta in name of King Dom João VI,
of which he was the president. Finally
the liberal forces made their way across the mountains to Vila Real
where they forced Amarante to flee north to Braganza, from which he
escaped into Spanish territory. But
this amazing figure, like Henrique Paiva Couceiro, almost 100 years
later, was not to give up for next year, in a new coup Amarante returned
to Portugal, this time as a hero to make his triumphal march into Lisbon.
The liberals had been temporarily defeated
In
Chaves a unique act was celebrated.
In order to erase all memory of the public acts that occurred
under the brief constitutional period, inside the walls of the town, the
authorities decided to burn all the documents connected to these acts in
the municipal archives. This
auto-da-fe took place in 1823.
After
the death of João VI there were new revolts in Tras-os-Montes,
instigated by the Count of Amarante, now called the Marquis of Chaves.
This time he tried to capture Vila Real, but was repulsed by
loyalist forces. Once again
the caudillo retreated north to the conservative bastion of Chaves.
Gathering more forces he crossed the north to Braganza where he
surrendered. Free again he
still tried another revolt in the south.
Defeated again, he took refuge in Spain.
But
the story had not finished. In
the next year, 1824, Amarante invaded the north again.
After defeating a government force, he made his way towards
Braga, where he suffered a defeat near the Cavado River.
With
a return of the reactionary regime under John’s son Miguel in 1825,
Amarante, the Transmontano caudillo returned to Portugal, but
played a relatively obscure role in the military and political life of
the country. Relatively
young, he died in 1834.
The Royalist Incursions of the Early 20th Century